Statement by President El-Sisi at Joint Press Conference with President of the Sovereign Council

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
My brother, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council (TSC),
Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, I would like to express my great pleasure to be with you today in Khartoum.

I would also like to thank my brother, His Excellency General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the brotherly people of Sudan for the warm reception and generous hospitality always shown to me in my second country, Sudan, as one of the traditions of its great people. This kind and gracious hospitality underpins the special ties of shared destiny between the people of Sudan and Egypt throughout the history of the two countries, the geography that extends from the south of the Nile Valley to its far north, and the inextricable, constant intermingling of their two brotherly peoples.

I would like to convey to the leadership, government and people of Sudan a message of fraternity and support from the Egyptian people, government and leadership in all fields without exception. I send you an expression of our sincere support for the great efforts made by our brothers in Sudan to manage the current transitional period and face its challenges with courage, vision and determination to move forward toward a better future.

Everyone has highly respected and appreciated this effort, hoping that Allah Almighty will make the ongoing steps contribute to creating the appropriate conditions to meet the aspirations of the brotherly Sudanese people who paid the most precious sacrifices for the freedom, prosperity and prosperity of their great homeland.

It gives me great pleasure to congratulate our brothers in Sudan for making a historic achievement with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which was reached after great, successful efforts. These efforts have also borne fruit due to the dedication of all Sudanese parties and their eagerness to ensure that the dear Sudanese homeland enters into a new era of peace, development and prosperity, which includes all the people of Sudan.

I would like to assure you that Egypt will wholeheartedly stand by your side and support your efforts for the development, stability and prosperity of the brotherly people of Sudan, an integral part of the security and stability of your brothers in the north of the valley.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The bilateral relations between Egypt and Sudan have witnessed a praiseworthy momentum in relations over the past period. This quantum leap forward in bilateral relations is represented in the improved coordination between the governments of the two countries, which is manifested in the mutual visits and intensive and continuous consultation.

In its entirety, this effort aims to intensify political coordination between the two countries and implement projects in a number of vital areas, including electricity connection, railways, trade, cultural and scientific exchange and cooperation in the fields of health, agriculture, industry, mining and other areas. This is done in order to achieve the desired goal of integration between the two countries and to make use of both countries’ enormous potentials in the interest of the two brotherly peoples.

Our meeting today came as a continuation of these efforts and in pursuit of an integrated strategic framework and a common vision of the various aspects and areas of cooperation and ways to advance them. These efforts reflect the convergence of our strong political will in this regard and pave the way for a new phase of intensive joint efforts that meet the interests and aspirations of our two brotherly peoples.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have discussed today with my dear brother His Excellency President Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan a number of issues of common concern on the regional and international arenas, within the framework of the close connection between the Egyptian and Sudanese national security and in furtherance of united efforts, aimed at achieving stability on the Arab and African arenas, between our two countries.

We also discussed the developments of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations, a file that touches the core of the vital interests of Egypt and Sudan, as they are the two downstream countries in the Nile Basin, which will be directly affected by this huge project. We also agreed on the importance of continuing close coordination and consultation between us in this regard.

We stressed the necessity of returning to serious and effective negotiations with the aim of reaching - at the earliest possible opportunity and before the next flood season - a fair, balanced and legally-binding agreement regarding the filling and operation of the GERD in a manner that meets the interests of the three countries and strengthens cooperation and integration between our country and our peoples.

We share a common vision of rejecting any approach that is based on imposing a fait accompli and extending control over the Blue Nile through taking unilateral measures that do not take into account the interests and rights of the two downstream countries. This was embodied when Ethiopia declared its intention to implement the second phase of the filling of the GERD even if we did not reach an agreement that organizes the filling and operation of this dam, a measure that may inflict serious damage on the interests of Egypt and Sudan.

Hence, we discussed ways to re-launch the path of negotiations through forming an international quartet that includes the African Union, the United States and the European Union in addition to the United Nations to mediate in the negotiation process; it is a mechanism that the Sudan proposed and Egypt supported. This mechanism aims to support the efforts of President Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and maximize the chances of making the negotiation track a success. We affirmed our full confidence in His Excellency’s ability to manage these negotiations and hence achieve a breakthrough in order to reach the desired agreement.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to express once again my great happiness to be here today among the brothers in Sudan and to express my sincere thanks again for the hospitality I received from Your Excellency. I want to express my full confidence that the next stage of joint work and cooperation between our two countries will continue in various fields, guided by the common vision, clear determination, solid political will and sincere efforts on Cairo’s and Khartoum’s parts. As we move forward, God willing, into the next stage, the two great peoples and the people of the Nile Valley, both united as one in Egypt and Sudan, will reap the fruits of these efforts.

Thank you.

May the Peace, Mercy and Blessing of Allah be Upon You.